Sookmyung Station pasta bar for a weekday date: shrimp pasta at B421

My partner and I were looking for a spot for a weekday dinner date near Sookmyung Station and ended up making a reservation at B421~ B421 is a place with decent value from pasta to steak, and they have not just wine but non-alcoholic cocktails too, so it was great for pairing a drink with the meal. Most of all, the interior is cozy and perfect for conversation, so it's a restaurant I want to revisit for Christmas!

How close is B421 to Sookmyung Station?

B421 is a wine bar less than a minute's walk from Exit 6 of Sookmyung Station. The transit access was great.

A Sookmyung Station spot with a great date atmosphere

B421 is close to Sookmyung Station, but it's also walkable from Namyeong Station and Samgakji Station. You go through a small alley wondering 'is this really the way in?' and then the entrance appears with a whole atmosphere to it!

B421 has seating good for two as well as tables for groups, so it looked like a good fit not just for dates but for pre-parties or second rounds too!

The lighting was dim and the seats were cozy, so it was great for talking with my partner. Perfect for a blind date or a date vibe~

Once we sat down, a small yogurt came out first as a welcome food haha

B421 menu and prices

• 421 Plate ₩42,000
• Mushroom cream pasta ₩17,000
• Melon prosciutto ₩19,000
• Skirt steak ₩25,000

B421 has pasta, steak, and pizza dishes good enough for a proper meal on the first round, plus light cheese or fruit plates, making it a Namyeong-dong bar that works well for a second round too.

What does B421's signature duck steak taste like?

B421's duck steak is ₩25,000, and it was the signature dish I picked first when looking at the menu!

The duck steak had really tender meat and crispy skin, so the texture was great. Personally, I liked this duck steak even more than the beef steak haha

Eating it together with the perilla leaf pesto underneath was really the kicker. The kind of flavor that makes you keep scraping up the sauce..!

₩15,000 shrimp oil pasta — is it actually good value?

B421's shrimp oil pasta is ₩15,000, and I ate it thinking it tasted better than most Western restaurants.

The savory oil was well soaked into the noodles, and there were a whopping four plump shrimp! Considering the ₩15,000 price, both the portion and the quality were pretty good value.

An unexpectedly great side dish, grilled napa cabbage

Last up was B421's side dish with the cute name, 'Naya, Albaechu' (나야, 알배추, napa cabbage) at ₩11,000~ Even my partner, who isn't really into vegetables, asked why this was so delicious!

The sweet flavor of the grilled napa cabbage combined with aioli sauce and bacon chips turned out to be a much better combination than I expected.

Drinks at B421: from port wine to non-alcoholic cocktails

Since B421 is a wine bar near Sookmyung Station, it's one drink per person, so we ordered wine and a cocktail! The white port wine went quite well with the duck steak and shrimp oil pasta combo. At 19.5% ABV it's on the strong side, and it's sweet so it goes down easily, but it's stronger than expected, so it was perfect for pairing lightly with the meal~

B421 at a glance

• Menu: the duck steak is recommended, the key is eating it with the perilla pesto
• Value: the ₩15,000 shrimp oil pasta had four plump shrimp and tasted good too
• Groups: reservations possible from 1-2 people up to large groups, a comfortable vibe for dates, pre-parties, or second rounds
• Recommended as a Christmas dinner restaurant in Seoul